The Toronto Maple Leafs are up 2-0 in thier series against the Ottawa Seantors, but they can still improve the roster with one key move.
This year feels different for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but one thing remains the same: Nick Robertson is not an everyday player. We all know that Robertson has elite skill, but that hasn't been shown in his current role with the Leafs.
Robertson's skillset unfortunately does not work as a third or fourth line winger. He's one of those fringe players that can't find the right role on the Leafs because their top six is too good. I do still believe in Robertson and think he should be a top-six winger somewhere, but that should take place should be a bad team, not with the Leafs.
The one issue with Robertson is his size and how that lack of size leads to unforced penalties. Robertson only had 16 penalty minutes during the regular season, but it felt like all of those penalties were unforced, whether it was a trip or high-stick, similar to what we saw during Game 2. In two games, Robertson already has six PIM's, but the one penalty he took in Game 2 was unnecessary.
During Game 2, Robertson lifted his stick above his waist and clipped a Senators player, resulting in a costly penalty, which the Senators scored on. The Leafs were in full control of the game, but that Robertson penalty led to a Brady Tkachuk power-play goal, pushing the game to 2-1. The goal gave the Senators momentum and was a big reason why it eventually went to overtime.
Pacioretty Should Play Instead of Robertson
After that penalty, it was clear that Head coach Craig Berube was frustrated with Robertson's play, as he was given much ice-time. In the first two games, Robertson is actually averaging the least amount of ice-time on the roster, so it looks more likely that he'll be in the press box, versus the bench for the remainder of the series.
If Robertson is only going to average 10:18 TOI, I would much rather see the team put Max Pacioretty back in the line-up, although he hasn't played since February. The reason why the Leafs brought Pacioretty into the organization was to be a veteran player who isn't scared of the big moments, so he should be a perfect addition for Game 3 and beyond.
He missed a ton of time due to injury, but he's back healthy and should be inserted ahead of Robertson immediately. I know it's been four years and multiple injuries since the 2021 playoffs, but Pacioretty isn't that far removed from being an impact player in the playoffs. He registered five goals and 11 points in 13 playoff games with Vegas and has 78 games of playoff experience.
If Pacioretty gets inserted into the line-up and doesn't score, it's still going to be a huge win as long as he isn't commiting dumb penalties and allowing the opposition to score when he's on the ice. Based on what we've seen with Robertson this playoffs, and in the past, I would feel much safer with the veteran Pacioretty as your third/fourth-line winger than Robertson, as it feels like his time with the Leafs is finished.
Despite being up 2-0 in the series, it's quite possible that we still haven't seen the best version of the Leafs, which is super exciting.